How To Motivate Yourself For Weight Loss
It is easy for many overweight people to get inspired about losing weight while reading about the subject. But it is a different ball game altogether when it comes to staying motivated long enough to do the things required to lose weight!
On the surface, there are only a few simple steps to losing weight. But how much effort are you willing to put into your weight loss goals? Do you have concrete reasons to help you stay motivated?
This article will cover a few simple but powerful tips on how to motivate yourself for weight loss. So, keep reading.
Why Is It So Difficult To Lose Weight?
It is easy to read books about weight loss and conclude that it all comes down to simply burning more calories every day.
However, committing to taking daily practical steps isn’t as easy as merely reading something off a book.
Eating tasty food always feels better and easier than exercising or burning calories, particularly if you are overweight.
This is because certain complex interactions between the neurons in your brain and your body hormones strongly influence your desire for food and how much food you eat.
In other words, while you understand and even like the concept of losing weight, your body pushes against the idea.
This might be surprising but it is true!
The hypothalamus is a part of your brain in charge of hunger and thirst. This is what controls your appetite. It can be difficult to lose weight if your hypothalamus is not “convinced” that you’ve had enough food.
Leptin, the hormone made by your body fat cells, can reduce your appetite by telling your body that you have enough fat stored already. Unfortunately, your body likely has resistance to leptin if you are overweight.
This makes it difficult to lose weight since you will be taking in more fat than your body needs.
Forcing yourself on the treadmill or counting calories daily won’t do the magic when it comes to long-term weight loss. It takes a lot more than that!
Your reason for your weight loss goal has to be strong enough to push you beyond any resistance from your body system and conquer any limiting beliefs.
This is a personal decision you must make. And it has to be challenging enough to make you want to keep going, even when it is tough.
Why Do People Lose Their Motivation Over Time?
Generally, losing weight can be challenging, especially when you think you are doing everything right but results aren’t showing.
However, the common reason for little to no results after a considerable amount of time following a weight loss program is because you are probably following the wrong advice.
Here are some of the mistakes that can knock you out of your motivated state.
#1 Over-Exercising or Under-Exercising
Crash diets and cleanses alone are likely to give you the desired results if you are not doing enough exercise while limiting calories.
You will probably lose more muscle mass and experience a reduction in metabolic rate.
Working out can offer great benefits and help you to:
- Increase your fat loss
- Regulate your body metabolism and prevent it from slowing down
When you have enough lean mass, it will be easier for you to lose weight and also maintain weight loss.
On the other hand, over-exercising can cause some problems, too!
When you do too many workouts for a long period because you want to lose weight as quickly as possible, it can lead to stress.
This may negatively impact endocrine hormones, which are responsible for regulating functions throughout your body.
In other words, don’t try to force yourself to over-exercise because it is not healthy for you. If anything, it won’t have any positive effect.
Instead, incorporate cardio and weight lifting into your exercise routines. Do these several times a week, as a strategy for maintaining metabolic rate for effective weight loss.
#2 Focusing Only on the Scale
Sometimes you feel as though you are not losing weight as fast as you want to even when you have changed your lifestyle to something healthier.
A good point to note is that the scale number is only one measure of your weight change.
Meanwhile, weight is controlled by several factors, which can include fluid fluctuations and the amount of food that is left in your system.
You can use a tape measure to check your progress or take pictures every month to see how well you are doing, even if the scale doesn’t show any significant change.
#3 Eating Too Many or Too Few Calories
When you take too many calories, you prevent yourself from losing weight. Likewise, not consuming enough calories can cause hunger, thereby reducing both your metabolism and muscle mass.
#4 Not Eating Enough Protein
Increasing your protein intake will help you reach your weight loss goal a little quicker. That’s because adequate protein consumption can reduce your appetite and increase feelings of fullness. It can also boost your metabolic rate.
How to Stay Motivated on Your Weight Loss Journey
Here are some tips on how to motivate yourself for weight loss. You can start by identifying your limiting beliefs and then try to find a way around them by setting challenging, yet achievable goals.
Educate Yourself on Your Weight Loss Needs
Learn to understand what your body needs. Understand what a balanced diet is, how to break down your meals, and practice portion control.
Once you get the hang of this, you will realize that even small things actually count. Plus, weight loss is not just about stopping the intake of certain types of food, counting your calories, and excessive exercise. It is far beyond that!
Set Realistic Goals
Educating yourself about your body needs won’t do much good if you don’t have a goal or take action towards achieving it.
Action is the word to keep in mind if you want to reach your goals!
You don’t have to set a massive goal – just start small. You can start by visualizing yourself achieving your goals. Just take baby steps and gradually increase them over time.
Find Your Purpose
Finding your purpose is another way to stay highly motivated in reaching your goals. A life without purpose is not worth living, and this also applies to your fitness goals.
Remember that the aim of eating right is to keep you in good health, have enough energy to achieve your dreams, and live a fulfilling life.
Ask yourself what your purpose is, and why you wish to maintain a healthy weight.
Practice Self-Love
Give yourself unconditional love! This is very important in the weight loss process.
Appreciate your body just as you are and with dedication and commitment, you will see positive changes in your body.
You can say positive words to yourself while looking at your reflection in the mirror. Think about your body in positive ways no matter how shapeless you think you are!
Spend Time With The Right People
Look for supportive like-minded people who will encourage you toward your goals.
Don’t hang out with people who constantly eat fast food. Instead, surround yourself with people who love healthy lifestyles and keep a positive mindset.
Make It a Fun Process
Losing weight won’t be stressful if you enjoy the process. Find what you love doing and build your exercise routine around it.
Also, you might want to sign up for a healthy cooking class or look for other fun things about cooking and healthy living.
Start Your Day Right
Smile to yourself as you wake up and get yourself into the right state of mind.
This will help you stay inspired to face your day. Don’t start thinking about what to eat or not eat the moment you wake up.
Don’t Compare Yourself To Others
Don’t focus on who is smarter, more successful, and in perfect shape than you. Comparing yourself to others is a sure path to failure when you are trying to lose weight.
Be yourself!
And understand that everybody is unique.
Do what feels best to you and always remember to always visualize your goals and the best version of yourself.
This will help you forget about everyone else and focus solely on yourself.
Drink Plenty of Water
Stay hydrated by drinking enough water throughout the day. This can help you feel less hungry.
Drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning is also beneficial because it is a way to detox your system
Two liters of water is recommended per day, although this will depend on your size and activity level.
Consider drinking about two glasses of water before your meals. It can help you eat less food.
Conclusion
How to motivate yourself for weight loss may not be an easy process, but if you understand the basics, it can make things a bit less frustrating and you won’t give up very easily.
Be easy on yourself and learn to reward yourself for being able to stick to your goals, even if you falter sometimes.
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